Acoustic mapping, sediment samples, and photographs of the seafloor
provide scientific information useful for issues dealing with resource management,
economic importance, and public safety. Sidescan mosaics of the continental
shelf and slope provide regional information on the nature of the substrate
(type of sediment and undersea landforms). These mosaics are useful for
site selection to collect samples of sediment and photographs of the seafloor.
The information on the distribution of sediment types provides clues about
habitat and to the different organisms that live on, in, and near the seafloor.
This information can be used by scientists investigating biodiversity and
ecological systems, by fisheries resource managers as a tool to make better
informed policy and regulatory decisions, and by commercial and sport fisherman
as an aid for locating fish and crabs. In addition to providing information
about habitat, the sidescan mosaics can be used to locate areas that may
pose a hazard to recreational and commercial fishing activities. For example,
about 50,000 containers of radioactive waste were dumped in the Gulf of
the Farallones region. Many of these containers can be detected on the
sidescan sonar mosaics. Probabilistic hazard maps produced from the mosaics
can be used to help identify environmental risks associated with recreational
and commercial fishing that are related to previously dumped radioactive
waste and other hazardous materials. In this way, the maps help to reconcile
and build a consensus among the economic, environmental, resource, and safety
interest groups that share the urban ocean.